Supreme Court denies Cablevision request to suspend NLRB complaint

Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) attorneys will be forced to defend the company against a complaint filed by the National Labor Relations Board after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request to suspend the case NLRB is waging at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

In April, NLRB accused Cablevision of using intimidation to discourage employees in the Bronx, N.Y., from joining the Communications Workers of America. Two months earlier, Cablevision had announced that some of the 282 dispatchers and field technicians who joined the CWA last year wanted to quit the union. The MSO had hoped NLRB would schedule a vote that would allow employees to exit the union, but instead NLRB sued the company.

CWA officials cheered the decision to turn down the Cablevision's request. "Cablevision must be desperately looking for a new lawyer who can appeal to an even higher power. In the meantime, the Cablevision workers remain willing to negotiate a fair contract, which would cost the company less than all the lawyers they are hiring to bust the union," Bob Master, the political and legislative director for CWA's District 1, said in a prepared statement.

Cablevision said it isn't discouraged by the Supreme Court's decision to not intervene. "This ruling does not address the merits of the case, and we are confident that the D.C. Circuit Court's final ruling on our petition will put a stop to the NLRB's evasion of the law," the MSO said in a prepared statement.

THE LIBRARY: WEBINAR

Learn how to enable a seamless experience while implementing WiFi calling not only with other IP based technologies such as VoIP and LTE but also with non-IP based technologies such as GSM and UMTS. Reserve Your Spot Today!

FierceCable is a daily email news briefing for cable service provider executives. Benefit from our time-saving update on Program Licensing, Multiscreen Content, OTT Distribution, DOCSIS 3.0, and other cable industry business and technology news. Sign up today!